Part 1Runaway Bride: The Shocking Reason That Shattered My World

At the wedding, Finn Carter, the struggling student my fiancée Seraphina had sponsored, burst in, screaming.

“Seraphina! A hornet stung me... *down there*! What if I can never... be a man again?”

Seraphina didn't hesitate. She abandoned me and all our guests, ready to leave with Finn.

I grabbed her arm, suggesting we finish the ceremony first, then find a doctor for him.

She shoved me hard, sending me sprawling to the ground, her eyes blazing with furious rage.

“Liam Miller! If you truly loved me, you wouldn't be standing in my way right now!”

With that, she dragged the injured Finn to a private room at the venue.

When I finally got there, I saw Seraphina straddling Finn.

Seraphina, who had once promised to save her precious virginity for our wedding day, glared at me.

“Finn's situation is so serious, how could I just stand by and do nothing?”

“It’s just my first time, isn’t it? If you want it, I’ll just get it 'fixed' and give it to you later, okay?”

* * *

The mic on Seraphina's wedding dress was still on.

Groans, loud and unmistakable, pulsed from the wedding venue's speakers.

The guests' eyes, a cruel mix of mockery and pity, burned into my face.

I gripped my glass so tightly my knuckles turned white.

I swallowed the bitter humiliation and the bitter drink in one gulp, my throat tightening.

An hour later, Seraphina finally emerged from the room.

Her face was flushed an unnatural red, and her million-dollar wedding dress was stained with flecks of blood.

The crowd began to cheer,

“Congratulations, Ms. Thorne, on your big moment!” someone jeered. “How was it? Finn a good lay, huh?”

The words had barely left their lips when my married sister, Aubrey Sterling, walked into the venue, supporting her heavily pregnant belly.

She scanned the room, a cold smirk on her face.

“You're certainly generous with your compliments! Why don't you all be just as generous and offer up your own wives for everyone to sleep with?”

She shot a venomous glare at Seraphina, then turned to me, trying to coax me away.

“Liam, our family, the Millers, is old money, established. We don't take wives who aren't... untouched. Never have.”

“Since Ms. Thorne is no longer pure, we can't break our ancestors' rules. The engagement is null and void. We're going home!”

As we walked out, whispers followed us every step of the way.

“So what if Liam Miller is the richest man? He's still being wrapped around a woman's finger, completely played.”

“Seraphina Thorne has some nerve, daring to slap Mr. Miller's face in front of so many! This alliance between the Miller and Thorne families is probably toast...”

I lost myself in thought for a moment.

Years ago, my grandfather made a pact with Seraphina's grandfather to repay a life-saving debt, sealing our families in an engagement.

After my grandfather passed, my father tried several times to break it off, wanting me to marry a more suitable heiress from a prominent family.

But I was dead set on marrying Seraphina, even going so far as to threaten drastic measures if I couldn't.

The Thorne family, leveraging the Millers' influence, skyrocketed to success.

Seraphina had cried, promising to save herself, her most precious gift, for our wedding night.

But she had forgotten every single word she ever said, all for Finn Carter, the struggling student she’d sponsored for three years!

“Liam Miller!”

I snapped back to reality, my foot already halfway into the car.

Seraphina rubbed her temples, her expression utterly impatient.

“So what if my first time is gone? I promise you, after we're married, I'll make it up to you for the rest of your life!”

The rest of my life?

What once felt like a beautiful vow now just sounded absurd.

Seeing my silence, Seraphina gave me a triumphant glance, then lifted her chin, commanding,

“Liam, go buy me some condoms. After Finn takes his medicine, I need to test if he's actually better.”

I felt a chill run through my entire body. I couldn't believe those words came out of Seraphina's mouth.

The next second, Finn, disheveled, stumbled out of the private room.

He clutched Seraphina's hand, whimpering pitifully,

“Seraphina, sis, I feel so bad...”

Instantly, Seraphina’s patience with me evaporated. She frowned in annoyance.

“Liam Miller! If you don't go buy them, then this wedding is truly off!”

But I couldn't even bring myself to spare Seraphina another glance.

As soon as I got in the car, Aubrey slammed her phone down, gritting her teeth.

The news about Seraphina and me had already spread like wildfire, headlines everywhere:

【Even the richest man can't buy love: Shocking wedding day...】

【Top wedding in Northwood! Bride forgets to remove mic, intimate conversation with lover goes public...】

My heart sank deeper and deeper as I scrolled through the news.

When Seraphina and I were dating, I never refused any of her requests.

I thought, since she wanted to save her most precious 'first' for our wedding night, why should I object?

But I never imagined that my repeated indulgence and concessions would lead to her and Finn sleeping together on our wedding day.

She didn't care at all what kind of media firestorm I would be thrown into.